Scott DiBerardino - Sep 12, 2009 12:39 pm (30353.) new
Developer, Three Crowns/GMT's PAX BALTICA :: "Never interrupt
your enemy when he is making a mistake." -- Napoleon ::
"I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages." -- Bill
Mauldin
PAX BALTICA report
PAX BALTICA
Long Island play report 2009-09-11
Jim Lawler (Sweden)
John Scherrer (Coalition)
1700 (Autumn)
As Peterís Russian army fails their first attempt to siege Narva, Karl
loads up an army in Sweden and prepares to land in the Baltic. While at
sea, plague strikes the entire region, costing every unit on the map one
step. Karlís seaborne force soldiers on, lands in Ingermanland, and
wipes out the Russian forces around Narva.
1701
Seeing the Russian, weakness, the Ottoman Empire joins the war. They
immediately march through the Ukraine and lay siege to Kursk, but fail
to take it. Up north, the Coalition shifts its defenses around while the
Swedish fleet goes home for more troops. A sudden series of storms
attrit the Turks in Russia badly and they limp home for reinforcements.
As the Saxons march additional troops through Poland, additional Swedish
forces land in Livland. Good recruiting all around adds to every
nationís army.
1702
Further recruitment maximizes the Turk army, and they again move north.
The Russians send a force south to contest the Ukraine. With Russiaís
forces divided, Karl leads an expedition into Novogorod. The Russians
break the siege lines there before it can fall, and Peter counterattacks
successfully into Velikaya, and the Saxons take Livland from Courland.
However, the Ottomans take Poltava and begin to move further north.
1703
The Ukraine revolts, throwing the Russian southern marches into
disarray. The Russian RP level is getting quite low. A huge battle is
fought between the Ottomans and the Russians at Kursk, but the Turks are
repulsed. Karl continues his siege of Novgorod without success. The
Swedes mount an attack on Livland but are thrown back by the stalwart
Coalition army of Saxons and Russians. In the south, the Russians pursue
the Mazepaís rebels and the defeated Turk armies, but canít quite finish
them off. Discontent in the Swedish homeland causes some losses. The
Saxon reinforcements continue their march through Poland. The
overreaching Russians are trapped in enemy territory when pursuing the
Turks, and a couple weak Russian armies are wiped out with nowhere to
go. The Swedes end the year preparing more reinforcements for the
Baltic.
1704
Karlís siege of Novgorod finally takes the city and Russian replacements
are dangerously low. More Swedes land in Livland but are thrown back to
the sea, even with help on land. Some Russian regiments in the south
fail to corner Mazepa. Swedes land their reinforcements in the Baltic
and invade Velikaya. Saxon reinforcements reach Livland. [At this point
I make the mistake of allowing Saxons in Russia, and they help bolster
Russian defenses.]
1705
The resurgent Ottomans drive the Russians out of Poltava before they can
liberate the city. The Russians fail to take Mazepaís headquarters in
Ukraine. The Turks continue to march north, defeating small Russian
forces along the way. They begin another siege of Kursk, but Russian
raids break the lines. In the Baltics, Swedish reinforcements capture
Velikaya and successfully siege Pskov. The Russians have almost no
replacements left, but still field a decent army. The Saxons and
Russians together retake the country Novgorod but fail to take the city.
1706
Novgorod is finally returned to Russia by a Saxon siege [illegal, sigh].
Kursk falls to the Turks and they move on Rjazan. Russia RPs are halved
by poor harvest, they may not get any in 1707 at this rate! A large
Swedish force invades Livland and weak Saxon forces there fall back into
Poland (technically still neutral). The Saxon army concentrates at
Velikaya [sigh, illegal again] but are drive off by strong Swedish
forces.
At this point we called the game. The Swedes were still in great shape
with Russia just about finished and the Ottomans heavily involved.
However, the Saxons were strong and Polish involvement is inevitable.
The game might come down to how soon the Danes decide to get involved
(they enter on a 6 each year, but never did in six tries this game).
Thanks again to Jim and John for a good test, they picked up the game
quickly and we got through each year (four turns) of play in 30 minutes.
Thanks also to Allan Rothberg for hosting our game and being his usual
excellent self.